Lawn mower



Jan. 29, 1952 E. L. BOYCE ETAL LAWN MOWER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 4, 1946 Jan. 29, 1952 E. L. BOYCE ETAL LAWN MOWER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 4, 1946 fizz/anions Jan. 29, 1952 E. L. BOYCE ETAL 2,583,543

v LAWN MOWER Filed Jan. 4, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I72 awn 071s Eugezeel. fiayce Jan. 29, 1952 E. 1.. BOYCE ETAL LAWN MOWER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 4., 1946 2 a eizellfiayce jzari y afdeiy y MM Patented Jan. 29, 1952 LAWN MOWER Eugene L. Boyce and Harry Goldberg, Chicago, 111., .assignors, -by mesne assignments, to Pioneer Gen-.E-Motor Corporation, -Ghicago, 111., a. corporation of Delaware Application J anuary 4, 1946, Serial No. 39,009

The invention relates to an improvement in lawn mowers and has for one purpose to provide an improved reversing means for imparting reverse rotation to the reel, in order to sharpen its blades.

Another purpose is to provide an improved lawn mower frame.

Another purpose is to provide improved means for lubricating the supporting wheels of a lawn mower.

Another purpose is to provide improved means for adjusting the reel assembly and cutter bar assembly of a lawn mower in relation to the ground level.

Another purpose is to provide an improved unitary removable reel and cutter bar structure.

Other purposes will appear from time to time in the course of the specification and claims.

We illustrate the invention more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevation with parts indicated in dotted line;

Figure 2 is a section, on an enlarged scale, on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an elevation, on an enlarged scale, with parts broken away, illustrating a clutch structure;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a section, on a reduced scale, on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specification and drawings.

Referring to the drawings, I indicates :anend plate which forms part of the chassis of the lawn mower, there being one such plate at each end of the chassis. The rearwardly extending portion of each plate I may be strengthened, for example, by longitudinally extending offset integral ribs 2. The upper portions of the plates may be connected by a transversely extending frame portion 3, which may be of sheet metal, suitably strengthened by angularflanges 4. .The rear ends of side plates I may be connected by any suitable transverse shaft 5, rotatable upon which we may employ one or more supporting rollers 6. A handle bail l is pivoted to the side frame members as at 8. its arc of movement may be limited by any suitable stops .or lugs 9,, Ill. The side end plates may have reinforcing angularly extending flanges II. Mounted upon the exterior of each side or end plate I is a supporting and driving wheel. We illustrate, for example, a supportingrstub shaft I 2 whichsmay have 9 Claims. ((31.56-249.)

an inner enlarged head I3 received in an. integral sleeve 14 which may, if desired, be inwardly upset from the side plate I. The inner end of the sleeve is partially closed by an end portion I5 which mayhave a central aperture It. The shaft is held in position by the apertured spring plate 11 which may be spot welded or otherwise secured, as at I8, to the exterior face of the side plate I, and which bears against the slightly outwardly extending face IQof the head I13, which is outwardly offset from the plane of the outer face of the side plate I. The stub shaft I2 is thus .held firmly in position in relation to the side plate, from which it outwardly projects.

.Rotatable on each such stub shaft is aground engaging wheel. In the particular wheel structure .herein illustrated, we employ a hub body 20 having an integral tubular bearing sleeve 2| which surrounds the shaft I2 and is rotatable thereabout. 22 illustrates any suitable bearing ring positioned between the members I11 and 2|. The hub may be kept in position, for example, by any suitable snap ring or securing member 23, with its appropriate washer 24. The hub structure 20 has outwardly open generally concentric concavities 25 and 26. It terminates in a peripheral portion 21. ,Engaging the peripheral portion 21, and spanning and spaced outwardly from the concavities 25 and 26 of the hub is the cover plate .28.. It engages the member 21 as at 29. It has anoutwardly extending portion 3|] which may be secured, by any suitable securing members 3|, to the rim portion 32 of the wheel. The rim 32 is connected by spokes or other suitable members 33 to the hub 29. ,It includes an inner flange 34 and an outer flange 35. The outer flange 35 terminatesin an extended tirekgripping abutment 36 against which any suitable tire 31 may be forced by the exterior edge portion38 of the closure plate 28. Thus the closure plate 28 is effective both to hold the tire 31 in position and to define, withthe hub 20, a spacein which any suitable lubricating material, such as oil soaked waste at may be positioned. This waste is effective. tolubricate the opposed bearingsurfaces of the shaft I2 and thesleeve 2!.

It will be noted that the inner wheel flange .34 is provided with inwardly extended gear teeth 4|, the purpose of which will later appear. The

.spacewithin the rim 35 is partly closed by a proring I04. Rotatable within this ring is the 'reel' support generally indicated at I05. I05 is the reel shaft upon which maybe positioned any suitable spiders I01 having laterally extending flanges I08, to which the cutter blades I09 may be secured. The shaft I06 terminates adjacent or just short of the side plates l and is rotatable in the member I05, in any suitable bearings. We

illustrate, for example, a bearing assembly having an outer race H and an inner race III, with balls or rollers II2, positioned between them. Any suitable sealing means II3 and. H4 may be employed. It will be noted that the member I05 is provided with an aperture II5, giving sufficient clearance to prevent wearing of the shaft I00 against the member I05, the roller bearing structure constituting the sole supporting connection for the shaft I06. The member -i05 has an outwardly extending portion I20 to which any suitable cutter bar structure I2I may be-adjustably pivoted. The details of such adjustment may be widel varied, but we illustrate setscrews I22 and I23 as opposed to portions I24 and I25 of the cutter bar. Thus the cutter bar may be rotated into any desired position of adjustment about the axis of its pins I26, to position the edge portion I21 of the cutter bar in relation to the peripheral path I28 of the edges of the cutter blades I09.

In order to rotate the cutter shaft I06, we provide removable driving shafts I30 which may extend into one or both ends of the shaft I05 and may be held in position by cross pins I3I, held against unintended movement by spring rings I32. The shaft portions I30 pass through arcuate slots I33 in the side plates I. Adjacent the outer end of each said shaft or pin I30 is a fixed clutch hub I30a provided with a plurality of ball engaging notches I30b. I30c is a closure ring. Rotatable on the shaft I30 is the opposite clutch hub I34 with the surrounding ring or housing portion I35, also provided with ball engaging notches I33. A practical contour for the opposing clutch members is shown in Figure 3, the balls being indicated at I31. It will be understood that when the parts are in full line position of Figure 4, the hub I34 is rotatable about the member. I30. 'It has, however, gear teeth I38, which mesh with the internal ring gear teeth 4|. Thus, in response to the rotation of the ground engaging wheels caused by a forward movement of the mower chassis, the hub I34 is rotated and, through the balls I31, drives the shaft I30 in the proper direction to cause a cutting movement of the blades I09 across the edge I21 of the cutter bar I2!. In order to provide ready means for reversing the direction of rotation of the reel, as when the blades I09 are to be sharpened, we provide locking screws I40 coaxial with, and extending into the ends of shafts I30. Each has an inner conic end I4I which is opposed to a locking ball I42. When the parts are in the full line position of Figure 4, the ball I42 is free, and performs no function. But when the screw I40 is rotated to advance it to the dotted line position, it urges the ball I42 into a locking engagement with the hub I34 and thus forces the hub I34 to rotate in unison with shaft I30. Thus the reel can then be rotated in a reverse direction, in response to backward movement of the mower, in order to sharpen the edges of the blades I09 by their reverse passage across the cutter bar edge I21. To provide ready access to the screw I40 we may provide an aperture I43 in the cover plate 40, through which a screw driver or other appropriate tool may be inserted.

An important feature of our invention is the rovision of a reel assembly, and an associated cutter bar assembly which are unitarily adjustable and/or unitarily removable from the chassis. With reference, for example, to Figure 5, it will be evident that the member I00 is rotatable about theaxis of rotation of the ground engaging wheels, as indicated at A. The axis of rotation of the reel, and of the reel shaft E06, is indicated at B. The end members I05 of the cutter shaft assembly, when raised or lowered, raise or lower the members I00 about the axis A. This causes a relative rotation of the reel assembly end members I00 and the cutter bar assembly end members I05, about the axis B. However, since we provide means for raising and lowering the members I05 while maintaining them at substantially constant angle to the ground, there is substantially no actual rotation of the members I05, although the members I00 rotate about the axis A and rotate, in relation to the members I05, about the axis B. While we ma provide any suitable means for raising and lowerin the members 505, we find it advantageous to employ adjusting members I50, in the form of rods which may be integral with or fixedly secured to the members I05. The rods may be screw threaded at their upper ends as at I5I and extend upwardly through a portion of the side frame flanges II, which are provided with any suitable notches or apertures I52, as shown in Figure 5. Nut I53, with any suitable actuating portion I54, may thrust against the upper surface of flange II, and is in screw threaded en-' gagement with the threads I5I of the adjusting pins I50. We may also employ any suitable spring washer I compressed between the lower surface of the flange II and any suitable spacer sleeve structure I56. The parts are so proportioned that the necessary, but very slight, swinging movement of the pins I50 in relation to the flange II, as the members I05 are raised or lowered, will not cause any cramping or binding action.

In order to mask the arcuate slots I33 in the side plates I, we may employ a shield structure I mounted on or moving with the outer ends of. the members I00, and of sufficient size to mask or protect the slots I33 at all normal positions of adjustment. It will be observed that the members I54 are readily engageable by the hand of the user, and that the reel and cutter bar assembly can easily be raised or lowered, to any desired adjustment, by rotation of the members I54. If the user wishes to remove the reel and cutter bar assembly, he can do so as follows: The members I54 are rotated until the pins I50 are released. The screws I03 are unscrewed, permitting removal of the member I02, and leaving the fork portions of the members I00 freely removable from the bearing members I4. The wheels may be removed by removing the closure plate 40 and releasing the split ring 23. The shafts I are remeved by removing the snap rings I32 and the pins I3I. The shafts I30 can then be readily removed from the ends of the reel shaft I06. There is then nothing left to hold the associated reel and cutter bar assemblies in the chassis and they can be freely withdrawn from between the side plates I. As a matter of convenience it may be better to remove the wheels and the shafts I30, and also the member I02, before releasing the pins I50 from the nuts I53.

It will be realized that whereas we have described and claimed a practical and operative device, nevertheless, many changes may be made in size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention. We, therefore, wish our description and drawings to be taken as in a broad sense illustrative or diagrammatical rather than as limiting us to the particular showing of the present description and drawings. For example, shafts I30 may be used at both ends of the shaft I08, or at one end only.

The use and ,operation of the invention are as follows:

We show a chassis including a pair of side plates I connected by any suitable transverse supports, such as the frame portion 3 and the shaft 5. It is to be understood, however, that the details of the chassis structure may be widely varied. Mounted for adjustment between the end members, we employ a reel assembly including the end members I00 and a cutter bar assembly including the end members I05. The end members IOI, which terminate in a fork, normally closed by the members I02, may rotate about the bearings I4, which define for the reel assembly an axis concentric with the axis of the supporting wheels, and indicated at A in Figures 1 and 5. The cutter bar assembly and the reel assembly are in an articulated relation ship defined by axis B which is coaxial with the axis of rotation of the shaft I06 of the reel.

The cutter bar is adjusted at the desired angle, by actuation of the set screws I22 and I23. Thus the relationship of its edge I21 to the path of movement of the cutting edges of the blades I09 is determined. By raising or lowering the pins I50, the cutter bar is bodily raised and lowered in relation to the surface over which the mower drives. This bodily adjustment is obtained with a negligible change in angle of the cutter bar. But as the cutter bar assembly is raised or lowered the reel assembly is thereby rotated about the axis A, and with no necessity for separate adjustment. The reel and cutter bar assembly are not merely unitarily adjustable, they are unitarily removable, from the chassis. In considering the details of the cutter reel assembly and the cutter bar assembly, the cutter I shaft Ice is pivoted to the reel assembly by the bearing assemblies including the inner races I l I, the outer races H0 and the balls H2. The outer races IIO are actually seated in cavities in the cutter bar assembly end members I05, but the upper portions of the members I are surrounded, as at .I05a, by the bearing ring portion led of the reel assembly end members I00. Thus the end members of the two assemblies are relatively rotatable about the cutter reel axis, as indicated at B in Figure 5.

In sharpening the blades the reel is rotated in a reverse direction, and a suitable abrasive may be positioned on the cutter bar edge I21. The result would be a quick and eilicient sharpening of the blades.

We claim: a

1. In a lawn mower, a frame, a chassis includ ing a pair of spaced end members and connections therebetween, ground engaging wheels mounted on said frame end members for rotation about a common and generally horizontal axis, a reel assembly and a cutter bar assembly, said assemblies being unitarily adjustable and removable from said chassis, each said assembly .including end members, the end members of the reel assembiy being rotatable about an axisconcentric with the axis of rotation of said ground engaging wheels, and being rotatable in relation to the end members of said cutter bar assembly, a cutter reel and shaft rotatable about an axis concentric witli'th'e connections between the end members of the reel assembly and the cutter bar assembly,

a driving connection between said shaft and said ground engaging wheels, eiiective at all positions of said reel assembly, and means for raising and lowering said reel and cutter bar assemblies including supporting members fixed to and extending upwardly from the end members of said cutter bar assembly.

2. In a lawn mower, a frame, a chassis including a pair of spaced end members and connections therebetween, ground engaging wheels mounted on said frame end members for rotation about a common and generally horizontal axis, a reel assembly and a cutter bar assembly, said assembliss being unitarily adjustable and removable from said chassis, each said assembly including end members, the end members of the reel assembly being rotatable about an axis concentric with the axis of rotation of said ground engaging wheels, and being rotatably in relation to the end members of said cutter bar assembly. a cutter reel and shaft rotatable about an axis concentric with the connections between the end members of the reel assembly and the cutter bar assembly, a driv ing connection between said shaft and said ground engaging wheels, effective at all positions of said reel assembly, and means for raising and lowering said reel and cutter bar assemblies including supporting members fixed to and extending upwardly from the end members of said outter bar assembly, and means on said frame end members for imparting upward and downward movement to said supporting members.

3. In a lawn mower, a frame, a chassis including a pair of spaced and members and connections therebetween, ground engaging wheels mounted on said frame end members for rotation about a common and generally horizontal axis, a reel assembly and a cutter bar assembly, said assemblies being unitarily adjustable and removable from said chassis, each said assembly including end members, the end members of the reel assembly being rotatable about an axis concentric with the axis of rotation of said ground engaging wheels, and being rotatable in relation to the end members of said cutter bar assembly, a cutter reel and shaft rotatable about an axis concentric with the connections between the end members of the reel assembly and the cutter bar assembly, a driving connection between said shaft and said ground engaging wheels, effective at all positions of said reel assembly, and means for raising and lowering said reel and cutter bar assemblies including supporting members fixed to and extending upwardly from the end members of said cutter bar assembly, and externally positionecl actuating members in threaded relation with said supporting members and adapted when rotated, to raise or lower said supporting members and said assemblies.

4. In a lawn mower, a frame, a chassis including a pair of spaced end members and connections therebetween, ground engaging wheels mounted on said frame end members for rotation about a common and generally horizontal axis, a reel assembly and a cutter bar assembly, said assemblies being unitarily adjustable and removable from said chassis, each said assembly includin end members, the end members of the reel assembly being rotatable about an axis concentric with the axis of rotation of said ground engaging wheels, and being rotatable in relation to the end members of said cutter bar assembly, a cutter reel and shaft rotatable about an axis concentric with the connections :between the end members of the reel assembly and the cutter bar assembly, a driving connection between said shaft and said ground engaging wheel's, effective at all positions of said reel assembly, and means for raising and lowering said reel and cutter bar assemblies including supporting members fixed to and extending upwardly from the end members of said outter bar assembly, means for raising and lowering said supporting members, and a supporting connection between each said supporting member and one of the frame end members, adapted to permit a limited tilting movement of each suptions therebetween, ground engaging wheels mounted on said frame end members for rota tion about a common and generally horizontal axis, a reel assembly and a cutter bar assembly, said assemblies being unitarily adjustable and removable from said chassis, each said assembly including end members, the end members of the reel assembly being rotatable about an axis concentric with the axis of rotation of said ground engaging wheels, and being rotatable in relation to the end members of said cutter bar assembly, a cutter reel and shaft rotatable about an axis concentric with the connections between the end members of the reel assembly and the cutter bar assembly, a driving connection between said shaft and said ground engaging wheels, effective at all positions of said reel assembly, and means for raising and lowering said reel and cutter bar assemblies including supporting members fixed to and extending upwardly from the end members of said cutter bar assembly, means for raising and lowering said supporting members, and a supporting connection between each said supporting member and one of the frame end members, adapted to permit a limited tilting movement of each supporting member as it is moved up or down, each supporting member extending upwardly from one of the cutter bar assembly end members at a point adjacent the axis of rotation of the cutter shaft.

6. In a lawn mower, a chassis including end membersand connections therebetween, ground engaging wheels mounted on said end members, and associated reel and cutter bar assemblies removably and adjustably mounted on said end members, including a pair of supports, acutter reel and shaft rotatably mounted on the inner ends of said supports, a cutter bar adjustably mounted on the outer ends of said supports, and links connecting said supports and said end members, said links being pivoted to said's'upports concentrically with said reel, and being pivoted to said end members concentrically with said ground engaging wheels, and a direct supporting and adjusting connection between an upper part of the chassis, and each of said supports each including a tension member extending downwardly from the chassis, each support being suspended upon one of said tension members.

7. In a wheel supporting structure for a lawn mower chassis, a chassis end plate having an outwardly open socket, a headed stub shaft with the head seated in said socket, and an outer retaining ring apertured to permit the extension therethrough of the stub shaft, said ring being secured to the outer surface of the side plate and being formed and adapted to engage and grip the outer surface of the head of the stub shaft.

8. In a lawn mower, a chassis including end members and connections therebetween, ground engaging wheels rotatably mounted on said end members, end supports adjustably suspended from an upper portion of the chassis, a cutter reel rotatably mounted on said supports, a cutter bar adjustably mounted on said supports, and connections between said supports and the chassis end members including links pivoted to said end members concentrically with said ground engaging wheels and pivoted to said supports concentrically with said cutter reel.

9. The structure of claim 8 characterized by and including hanger rods extending from said end supports, and exterior rotatable operating handles therefor, located upon an upper portion The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 359,550 Williams Mar. 15, 1887 848,551 Hill Mar. 26, 1907 1,412,583 Vannette Apr. 11, 1922 1,826,663 Hessenbruch Oct. 6, 1931 2,124,956 Roemer July 26, 1938 2,138,786 Funk Nov. 29, 1938 2,199,919 Limbach May'7, 1940 2,269,920 Seaver Jan. 13, 1942 2,340,849 Wildeboor et al. Feb. 8, 1944 2,388,165 Loewe et al. Apr. 30, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 24,660 Great Britain Nov. 3, 1906 

